Prediction for APS tomorrow- Wednesday?
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Anonymous
Serious question that I have always wanted to ask teachers. Why is it a spouse can never stay home with the kids on snow days? It's not even ever mentioned as a possibility. It's a default that all the teachers have to stay home with their own kids. |
Anonymous
| I have wondered that too, I assume the spouses are high earners and don’t feel they can take off? |
Anonymous
1. Not all teachers have spouses. 2. Some teachers have teacher spouses 3. Some teachers (me) have spouses with a much higher paying job that is very demanding and their job comes first. I have tons of paid leave. If my DH "takes off" to watch our kids, he will just be up until all hours of the night making up for it. |
Anonymous
I have an in-person required job (public librarian) and my spouse makes more money than me. We don't just assume I will call out every time there is a snow day. In fact, libraries were open today and are hardly ever closed when schools are closed. |
Anonymous
DP here. That's nice. But if my spouse takes off, he just has to make up the work later. I don't. |
Anonymous
It's a weird default assumption that just further devalues the profession, in my opinion. And of course we know all teachers don't have spouses but most of those, their children should have another parent somewhere. |
Anonymous
We are a #3 family, as well. When it comes down to it, we need to put our family’s focus on his job. It pays far more than mine (3x more) and it would be harder for him to find another job if he were to get fired. |
Anonymous
Yes, I'm in the same position but feel some obligation to my workplace and colleagues and patrons of our library so try to work out an equal arrangement with my spouse. People are counting on me. |
Anonymous
I'm not the one "devaluing" the profession. Its a mathematical fact that his salary is far more important to our bottom line than mine is. And families should THANK these breadwinner husbands because many teachers like me wouldn't be teachers if not for our higher earning spouses. But at the end of the day, he'd have tons of work to make up and I don't, so I take off. |
Anonymous
Ok? Its my leave and I am free to use it as I see fit. I don't feel any guilt or obligation. I have leave for a reason. |
Anonymous
Facts are lots of similarly low paid professions don't behave this way. Nurses and techs in the medical field as an example. Library workers as already mentioned by another person. Really any municipal worker. You think the people plowing the snow or picking up trash during this are making a lot of money? They're not. Teachers don't see themselves as essential and never have and I think that's just a societal view. Also, teachers are more likely to be women and little kids are the women's problem. Also zero chance there are any repercussions for teachers not showing up. It's expected at this point and no blowback from their employer. |
Anonymous
DP. You are absolutely entitled to your leave. I don’t understand why people feel as if they can comment on a teacher’s leave. This is a job, just like any other. |
Anonymous
I’m the teacher who just commented and I’m going to challenge you on this. We don’t see ourselves as essential? Seriously? Just because we feel (gasp) like we can use our leave when we need to? Are you telling me that librarians and nurses and medical techs all heroically refuse to use their leave? This is nonsense. Frankly, all I see is the usual assumption that a teacher’s job is to put others first because somehow teachers are not doing their jobs if they attend to other facets of their own lives. That’s a privilege reserved for other professions, correct? |
Anonymous
They aren't "not showing up"! They are taking their own leave! What don't you understand about that? |
Anonymous
You all really can't see that there are many, many jobs that are part of providing a public service or critical function that if everyone used their leave whenever it was convenient for them, all of us would have a serious problem getting basic services, food, gas? You've clearly never had to manage one of these types of functions. Sure people have leave but they can't all take it whenever they feel like it. Someone is doing all this stuff, even on holidays, weekends, during storms. All of it. Teachers don't see themselves as in this bucket of services is the answer. Our kids going to school is a nice to have if everything else is going great. Which is fine for most kids and terrible for others. |